Stan Levey, one of the strongest drummers of his generation, was born in Philadelphia in 1926. He was one of the very few
white drummers involved in the formative years of bebop and accepted as one of bop's most important drummers, along with Kenny
Clarke and Max Roach. He played in Philly with Dizzy Gillespie's group in 1942, at the tender age of 16. Soon after he went
to New York, where he and Dizzy worked on 52nd Street with Charlie Parker and Oscar Pettiford. After his tenure with the
Stan Kenton Orchestra he moved to the west coast in 1954, joining Howard Rumsey and the Lighthouse All-Stars, and was a major
influence in what was called "west coast jazz" or the "cool school". Levey's crisp, melodic style continued
to have more in common with bop than cool, and he inspired every group he ever played in. Stan has played on over 2000 recordings.
He has performed with most of the greatest names in the music business. People such as:

Stan retired from the music business in 1973 to devote his creative energies full time to his photography career. His
life story is chronicled in a volume entitled "Stanley Levey, Central and Beyond" that is a featured part of the
UCLA Library of Oral Jazz History. He also holds a place in the Smithsonian Institute with Dizzy Gillespie.

Stan Levey recently passed away on April 19, 2005 at the age of 79. Stan was a true original who moved to the beat of a different
drum. He was a great friend and partner and will be greatly missed by all of his friends and family who knew and loved him
very much. - Arthur Shelby Pritz